Pinning a Callout Animation

ABSTRACT

Animation for the attachment of content items to a location on a content surface in a user interface is provided. A user interface showing a content surface may be displayed on a computer. The content surface may include a content item at an initial position above the content surface. The content surface may display content formatted for display over an area comprising a totality of the content surface. The computer may then receive in the user interface a request to attach the content item to a final position on the content surface. The computer may then display an animation of the content item moving, from the initial position, across the content surface until the final position has been reached. The computer may then attach the content item to the content surface at the final position.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialwhich is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and TrademarkOffice patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrightrights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND

Computer productivity applications include functionality for attachingor “pinning” various user interface (“UI”) elements to displayedcontent. For example, a productivity application may includefunctionality allowing a user to initiate the display of a calendar UIelement within an e-mail application and subsequently pin the calendaras a task pane at another location within the e-mail application. Adrawback associated with the aforementioned functionality is that thepinning of content elements is displayed to the user in an instantaneousmanner. That is, users are not provided with a sense of how a particularUI element transitions from its initial position in the display prior tobeing pinned. This lack of transitioning behavior may be confusing andjarring to many users. It is with respect to these considerations andothers that the various embodiments described herein have been made.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended asan aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Embodiments are provided for animating the attachment of content itemsto a location on a content surface in a user interface. A user interfaceshowing a content surface may be displayed on a computer. The contentsurface may include a content item at an initial position above thecontent surface. The content surface may display content formatted fordisplay over an area comprising a totality of the content surface. Thecomputer may then receive in the user interface a request to attach thecontent item to a final position on the content surface. The computermay then display an animation of the content item moving, from theinitial position, across the content surface until the final positionhas been reached. The computer may then attach the content item to thecontent surface at the final position.

These and other features and advantages will be apparent from a readingof the following detailed description and a review of the associateddrawings. It is to be understood that both the foregoing generaldescription and the following detailed description are illustrative onlyand are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the detaileddescription. This summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended asan aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a computer screen display of a user interface showing acontent item prior to being attached to a content surface, in accordancewith an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a computer screen display of a user interface showing ananimation stage of a content item moving towards a final position on acontent surface, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a computer screen display of a user interface showing anotheranimation stage of a content item at a final position on a contentsurface, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a computer screen display of a user interface showing acontent item attached to a final position on a content surface, inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a computer screen display of a user interface showing anothercontent item prior to being attached to a content surface, in accordancewith an embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a computer screen display of a user interface showing anothercontent item at a final position on a content surface, in accordancewith an embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a computer screen display of a user interface showing anothercontent item attached to a final position on a content surface, inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a computer screen display of a user interface showing yetanother content item prior to being attached to a content surface, inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a computer screen display of a user interface showing yetanother content item at a final position on a content surface, inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a computer screen display of a user interface showing yetanother content item attached to a final position on a content surface,in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating a routine for animating theattachment of content items to a location on a content surface in a userinterface, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a simplified block diagram of a computing device with whichvarious embodiments may be practiced;

FIG. 13A is a simplified block diagram of a mobile computing device withwhich various embodiments may be practiced;

FIG. 13B is a simplified block diagram of a mobile computing device withwhich various embodiments may be practiced; and

FIG. 14 is a simplified block diagram of a distributed computing systemin which various embodiments may be practiced.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments are provided for animating the attachment of content itemsto a location on a content surface in a user interface. A user interfaceshowing a content surface may be displayed on a computer. The contentsurface may include a content item at an initial position above thecontent surface. The content surface may display content formatted fordisplay over an area comprising a totality of the content surface. Thecomputer may then receive in the user interface a request to attach thecontent item to a final position on the content surface. The computermay then display an animation of the content item moving, from theinitial position, across the content surface until the final positionhas been reached. The computer may then attach the content item to thecontent surface at the final position.

FIG. 1 of a user interface 100 showing a content item prior to beingattached to a content surface 115, in accordance with an embodiment. Theuser interface 100 may be generated by a productivity applicationexecuted by a computer. In accordance with an embodiment, theproductivity application may include a personal information managementsoftware application such as the OUTLOOK personal information managementsoftware from MICROSOFT CORPORATION of Redmond Wash. It should beunderstood, however, that other personal information softwareapplications from other manufacturers also may be utilized in accordancewith the various embodiments described herein. It should be appreciatedby those skilled in the art that other productivity applications mayalso be utilized in accordance with the various embodiments describedherein. The other productivity applications may include, but are notlimited to, word processing software, presentation graphics software,spreadsheet software, diagramming software, project management software,publishing software and note-taking software. It should be appreciatedthat the aforementioned productivity applications may compriseindividual application programs or alternatively, may be incorporatedinto a suite of productivity applications such as the OFFICE applicationprogram suite from MICROSOFT CORPORATION. The content surface 115 in theuser interface 100 displays electronic mail (“e-mail”) contentassociated with a user. In accordance with an embodiment, the contentdisplayed on the content surface 115 may be organized according tovarious content task panes 120, 125 and 130. For example, the contenttask pane 120 comprises a list of mailboxes associated with a user, thecontent task pane 125 comprises a list view of e-mail messages in auser's Inbox and the content task pane 130 comprises the content of ane-mail message associated with a currently selected e-mail message(i.e., the first message in the list view of e-mail messages). Thecontent surface 115 also includes various text labels including Mailtext label 140, Calendar text label 145, People text label 150 and Taskstext label 155 which identify various types of personal informationmanagement content (i.e., e-mail, a calendar, a contacts list and atasks list). In accordance with an embodiment, the text labels 144, 150and 155 may be selected to display a content item or “callout”associated with the personal information management content identifiedby each text label. For example, the selection of the Tasks text label155 generates the display of content item 105 (alternatively referred toherein as the “callout 105”) showing various task items over the contentsurface 115. As defined herein, a callout may comprise a floating pieceof user interface content which sits above the content surface of theuser interface 100 generated by the productivity application. Thecallout 105 may also include an icon 110 in the upper right corner whichmay be selected (e.g., by clicking on an input device or via a touchgesture) to animate the callout 105 across the content surface 115 andto attach or “pin” the callout 105 to the content surface 115. Theanimation of callouts will be described in greater detail below.

FIG. 2 is a computer screen display of the user interface 100 showing ananimation stage of the content item 105 moving towards a final position235 on the content surface 115, in accordance with an embodiment. Asdiscussed above with respect to FIG. 1, the content surface 115 displaysvarious content associated with e-mail in the task panes 120, 125 and130 and further displays the Mail text label 140, the Calendar textlabel 145, the People text label 150 and the Tasks text label 155 whichidentify various types of personal information management content (i.e.,e-mail, a calendar, a contacts list and a tasks list). In FIG. 2, theanimation of the callout 105 is shown at a stage in which the callout105 is moving toward but has not yet reached the final position 235 onthe content surface 115. It should be understood that the final position235 may comprise a predefined area on the content surface 115 determinedby the productivity application and which is utilized by theproductivity application for attaching or “pinning” callouts. Inaccordance with an embodiment, the productivity application may makespace on the content surface 115 for pinning callouts by automaticallyresizing the content in the task panes 120, 125 and 130 (and thereforethe task panes themselves). For example, the productivity applicationmay resize the content in the task panes 120, 125 and 130 as the callout105 moves across the screen towards the final position 235 located nearthe right edge of the content surface. Alternatively, the productivityapplication may delay resizing the content in the task panes 120, 125and 130 until after the callout has reached the final position 235.

FIG. 3 is a computer screen display of the user interface 100 showinganother animation stage of the content item 105 at the final position235 on the content surface 115, in accordance with an embodiment. Asdiscussed above with respect to FIG. 1, the content surface 115 displaysvarious content associated with e-mail in the task panes 120, 125 and130 and further displays the Mail text label 140, the Calendar textlabel 145, the People text label 150 and the Tasks text label 155 whichidentify various types of personal information management content (i.e.,e-mail, a calendar, a contacts list and a tasks list). In FIG. 3, theanimation of the callout 105 is shown at a stage in which the callout105 has reached the final position 235 on the content surface 115. Aswill be described in greater detail below, once the animated callout 105has reached the final position 235, the movement of the callout 105 isstopped and the callout 105 then makes a cross fade transition into afinal docked state as a task pane in the content surface 115. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 3, portion 305 of the callout 105 is in theprocess of cross fading from a position above the content surface 115 toa position within the content surface 115.

FIG. 4 is a computer screen display of the user interface 100 showingthe content item 105 attached (i.e., pinned) to the final position 235on the content surface 115, in accordance with an embodiment. Asdiscussed above with respect to FIG. 1, the content surface 115 displaysvarious content associated with e-mail in the task panes 120, 125 and130 and further displays the Mail text label 140, the Calendar textlabel 145, the People text label 150 and the Tasks text label 155 whichidentify various types of personal information management content (i.e.,e-mail, a calendar, a contacts list and a tasks list). In FIG. 4, thecallout 105 is shown as integrated into the content surface 115 as atask pane. As will be discussed in greater detail below, once thecallout 105 reaches the final position 235 and completes the cross fadetransition into a final docked state, the callout 105 becomes a taskpane that is on the same surface as the content surface.

FIG. 5 is a computer screen display of a user interface 100 showinganother content item prior to being attached to the content surface 115,in accordance with an embodiment. As discussed above with respect toFIG. 1, the content surface 115 displays various content associated withe-mail in the task panes 120, 125 and 130 and further displays the Mailtext label 140, the Calendar text label 145, the People text label 150and the Tasks text label 155 which identify various types of personalinformation management content (i.e., e-mail, a calendar, a contactslist and a tasks list). In FIG. 5, the content surface 115 also displaysthe docked callout 105. Further in FIG. 5, a new or additional contentitem (i.e., callout 505) is displayed over the content surface 115 as aresult of a selection of the People text label 150, which shows acontacts list. The callout 505 may also include an icon 510 in the upperright corner which may be selected (e.g., by clicking on an input deviceor via a touch gesture) to animate the callout 505 across the contentsurface 115 and to attach or “pin” the callout 505 to the contentsurface 115, as will be described in greater detail below.

FIG. 6 is a computer screen display of the user interface 100 showingthe content item 505 at the final position 235 on a content surface 115,in accordance with an embodiment. As discussed above with respect toFIG. 1, the content surface 115 displays various content associated withe-mail in the task panes 120, 125 and 130 and further displays the Mailtext label 140, the Calendar text label 145, the People text label 150and the Tasks text label 155 which identify various types of personalinformation management content (i.e., e-mail, a calendar, a contactslist and a tasks list). In FIG. 6, the animation of the callout 505 isshown at a stage in which the callout 505 has reached the final position235 on the content surface 115 after moving across the content surface115 in a similar fashion as that described above with respect to themovement of the callout 105 in FIG. 2. In accordance with an embodiment,the callout 505 may be displayed as hovering over a lower portion of thecallout 105 on the content surface 115.

FIG. 7 is a computer screen display of the user interface 100 showingthe content item 505 attached (i.e., pinned) to the final position 235on the content surface 115, in accordance with an embodiment. Asdiscussed above with respect to FIG. 1, the content surface 115 displaysvarious content associated with e-mail in the task panes 120, 125 and130 and further displays the Mail text label 140, the Calendar textlabel 145, the People text label 150 and the Tasks text label 155 whichidentify various types of personal information management content (i.e.,e-mail, a calendar, a contacts list and a tasks list). In FIG. 7, thecallout 505 is shown as integrated into or “docked” to the contentsurface 115 below the callout 105. It should be understood that thecallout 105 has been resized by the productivity application to providespace for displaying the callout 505 at the final position 235 on thecontent surface 115. It should further be understood, that the callout505 may undergo a similar cross fade transition as described above withrespect to the callout 105. That is, the callout 505 may undergo a crossfade transition from a position above the content surface 115 to a taskpane that is on the same surface as the content surface 115.

FIG. 8 is a computer screen display of a user interface 100 showing yetanother content item prior to being attached to the content surface 115,in accordance with an embodiment. As discussed above with respect toFIG. 1, the content surface 115 displays various content associated withe-mail in the task panes 120, 125 and 130 and further displays the Mailtext label 140, the Calendar text label 145, the People text label 150and the Tasks text label 155 which identify various types of personalinformation management content (i.e., e-mail, a calendar, a contactslist and a tasks list). In FIG. 8, the content surface 115 also displaysthe docked callouts 105 and 505. Further in FIG. 8, a new or additionalcontent item (i.e., callout 805) is displayed over the content surface115 as a result of a selection of the Calendar text label 150, whichshows a calendar. The callout 805 may also include an icon 810 in theupper right corner which may be selected (e.g., by clicking on an inputdevice or via a touch gesture) to animate the callout 805 across thecontent surface 115 and to attach or “pin” the callout 805 to thecontent surface 115, as will be described in greater detail below.

FIG. 9 is a computer screen display of the user interface 100 showingthe content item 505 at the final position 235 on a content surface 115,in accordance with an embodiment. As discussed above with respect toFIG. 1, the content surface 115 displays various content associated withe-mail in the task panes 120, 125 and 130 and further displays the Mailtext label 140, the Calendar text label 145, the People text label 150and the Tasks text label 155 which identify various types of personalinformation management content (i.e., e-mail, a calendar, a contactslist and a tasks list). In FIG. 9, the animation of the callout 805 isshown at a stage in which the callout 805 has reached the final position235 on the content surface 115 after moving across the content surface115 in a similar fashion as that described above with respect to themovement of the callout 105 in FIG. 2. In accordance with an embodiment,the callout 805 may be displayed as hovering over a lower portion of thecallout 505 on the content surface 115.

FIG. 10 is a computer screen display of the user interface 100 showingthe content item 805 attached (i.e., pinned) to the final position 235on the content surface 115, in accordance with an embodiment. Asdiscussed above with respect to FIG. 1, the content surface 115 displaysvarious content associated with e-mail in the task panes 120, 125 and130 and further displays the Mail text label 140, the Calendar textlabel 145, the People text label 150 and the Tasks text label 155 whichidentify various types of personal information management content (i.e.,e-mail, a calendar, a contacts list and a tasks list). In FIG. 10, thecallout 805 is shown as integrated into or “docked” to the contentsurface 115 below the docked callouts 105 and 505. It should beunderstood that the callouts 105 and 505 have been resized by theproductivity application to provide space for displaying the callout 805at the final position 235 on the content surface 115. It should furtherbe understood, that the callout 805 may undergo a similar cross fadetransition as described above with respect to the callout 105. That is,the callout 805 may undergo a cross fade transition from a positionabove the content surface 115 to a task pane that is on the same surfaceas the content surface 115.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating a routine 1100 for animating theattachment of content items to a location on a content surface (i.e.,animating the pinning of callouts) in a user interface, in accordancewith an embodiment. When reading the discussion of the routine presentedherein, it should be appreciated that the logical operations of variousembodiments are implemented (1) as a sequence of computer implementedacts or program modules running on a computing system and/or (2) asinterconnected machine logical circuits or circuit modules within thecomputing system. The implementation is a matter of choice dependent onthe performance requirements of the computing system implementing thevarious embodiments. Accordingly, the logical operations illustrated inFIG. 11 and making up the various embodiments described herein arereferred to variously as operations, structural devices, acts ormodules. It will be recognized by one skilled in the art that theseoperations, structural devices, acts and modules may be implemented insoftware, in firmware, in special purpose digital logical, and anycombination thereof without deviating from the spirit and scope of thevarious embodiments as recited within the claims set forth herein.

The routine 1100 begins at operation 1105, where a computing device maybe utilized to execute a productivity application for displaying in auser interface, a content item or callout at an initial position above acontent surface. In accordance with an embodiment, the initial positionof the content item may be displayed as floating above the contentsurface in the user interface. It should be understood that, prior todisplaying the content item, the productivity application may receive aselection of the content item or callout from the content surface. Forexample, as discussed above with respect to FIG. 1, a callout may beselected from a displayed text label on the content surface of a userinterface. In accordance with an embodiment, the content item maycomprise a callout selected from a group including at least a taskslist, a contacts list and a calendar in a personal informationmanagement application. It should be understood that other content itemsin other productivity applications (including productivity applicationsuites comprising multiple applications) may also be utilized inaccordance with various embodiments. For example, content items fromword processing applications, presentation graphics applications,spreadsheet applications, diagramming applications, project managementapplications, publishing applications and note-taking applications maybe utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of theembodiments described herein.

From operation 1105, the routine 1100 continues to operation 1110, wherethe productivity application executing on the computing device mayreceive in the user interface, request to attach the content item to afinal position on the content surface. For example, the productivityapplication may receive a user request to pin a callout to apredetermined position on the content surface for displaying callouts.In particular, as discussed above with respect to FIG. 1, a displayedcallout may include an icon which may be selected by a (e.g., byclicking on an input device or via a touch gesture) to animate thecallout across the content surface and to attach or pin the callout tothe content surface.

From operation 1110, the routine 1100 continues to operation 1115, wherethe productivity application executing on the computing device maydisplay in the user interface, an animation of the content item moving,from the initial position, across the content surface until the finalposition has been reached. It should be understood that, in accordancewith embodiments, the productivity application in animating the movementof the content item across the content surface may resize content in thecontent surface to make space for the content item at the finalposition. In particular, the productivity application may be configuredto either resize content in the content surface to make space for thecontent item as the content item moves across the content surfacetowards the final position or resize content in the content surface tomake space for the content item upon the content item reaching the finalposition.

From operation 1115, the routine 1100 continues to operation 1120, wherethe productivity application executing on the computing device mayattach in the user interface, the content item to the content surface atthe final position. In particular, the productivity application may beconfigured to display a cross-fade animation showing a transition of thecontent item from a position above the content surface at the finalposition to a docked state within the content surface at the finalposition. It should be understood that, while in the docked state at thefinal position, the content item may comprise a task pane in the userinterface. p From operation 1120, the routine 1100 continues tooperation 1125, where the productivity application executing on thecomputing device may receive in the user interface, a request to attachone or more new content items to the final position on the contentsurface.

From operation 1125, the routine 1100 continues to operation 1130, wherethe productivity application executing on the computing device maydisplay in the user interface, an animation of each new content itemmoving across the content surface until the final position has beenreached.

From operation 1130, the routine 1100 continues to operation 1135, wherethe productivity application executing on the computing device mayattach in the user interface, the new content items to the contentsurface at the final position. It should be understood that theproductivity application, in attaching the new content items, may beconfigured to resize previously docked content items to make space forthe new content items at the final position. It should be understoodthat, while attached to the content surface (i.e., in a docked state) atthe final position, the new content items may comprise task panes in theuser interface. From operation 1135, the routine 1100 then ends.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating example physical components of acomputing device 1200 with which various embodiments may be practiced.The computing device components described below may be suitable for thecomputing device described above with respect to FIGS. 11. In a basicconfiguration, the computing device 1200 may include at least oneprocessing unit 1202 and a system memory 1204. Depending on theconfiguration and type of computing device, system memory 1504 maycomprise, but is not limited to, volatile (e.g. random access memory(RAM)), non-volatile (e.g. read-only memory (ROM)), flash memory, or anycombination. System memory 1204 may include an operating system 1205 andproductivity application 1201. Operating system 1205, for example, maybe suitable for controlling computing device 1200′s operation and, inaccordance with an embodiment, may comprise the WINDOWS operatingsystems from MICROSOFT CORPORATION of Redmond, Wash. It should beunderstood that the embodiments described herein may also be practicedin conjunction with other operating systems and application programs andfurther, is not limited to any particular application or system.

The computing device 1200 may have additional features or functionality.For example, the computing device 1200 may also include additional datastorage devices (removable and/or non-removable) such as, for example,magnetic disks, optical disks, or tape. Such additional storage isillustrated in FIG. 12 by a removable storage 1209 and a non-removablestorage 1210.

While executing on the processing unit 1202 of the computing device1200, the productivity application 1201 may perform a routine foranimating the attachment of content items to a location on a contentsurface in a user interface including, for example, one or more of theoperations in the routine 1100 described above. The aforementionedroutine is illustrative, and the processing unit 1202 may perform otherroutines. Generally, consistent with various embodiments, programmodules may be provided which include routines, programs, components,data structures, and other types of structures that may performparticular tasks or that may implement particular abstract data types.Moreover, various embodiments may be practiced with other computersystem configurations, including hand-held devices, multiprocessorsystems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics,minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. Various embodimentsmay also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasksare performed by remote processing devices that are linked through acommunications network. In a distributed computing environment, programmodules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.

Furthermore, various embodiments may be practiced in an electricalcircuit comprising discrete electronic elements, packaged or integratedelectronic chips containing logic gates, a circuit utilizing amicroprocessor, or on a single chip containing electronic elements ormicroprocessors. For example, various embodiments may be practiced via asystem-on-a-chip (“SOC”) where each or many of the componentsillustrated in FIG. 12 may be integrated onto a single integratedcircuit. Such an SOC device may include one or more processing units,graphics units, communications units, system virtualization units andvarious application functionality all of which are integrated (or“burned”) onto the chip substrate as a single integrated circuit. Whenoperating via an SOC, the functionality, described herein, with respectto the productivity application 1201 may operate viaapplication-specific logic integrated with other components of thecomputing device/system 1200 on the single integrated circuit (chip).Embodiments may also be practiced using other technologies capable ofperforming logical operations such as, for example, AND, OR, and NOT,including but not limited to mechanical, optical, fluidic, and quantumtechnologies. In addition, embodiments may be practiced within a generalpurpose computer or in any other circuits or systems.

Various embodiments, for example, may be implemented as a computerprocess (method), a computing system, or as an article of manufacture,such as a computer program product or computer readable media. Thecomputer program product may be a computer storage media readable by acomputer system and encoding a computer program of instructions forexecuting a computer process.

The term computer readable media as used herein may include computerstorage media. Computer storage media may include volatile andnonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any methodor technology for storage of information, such as computer readableinstructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Thesystem memory 1204, removable storage 1209, and non-removable storage1210 are all computer storage media examples (i.e., memory storage.)Computer storage media may include, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM,electrically erasable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or othermemory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or otheroptical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic diskstorage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which canbe used to store information and which can be accessed by the computingdevice 1200. Any such computer storage media may be part of thecomputing device 1200. The computing device 1200 may also have inputdevice(s) 1212 such as a keyboard, a mouse, a pen, a sound input device,a touch input device, etc. Output device(s) 1214 such as a display,speakers, a printer, etc. may also be included. The aforementioneddevices are examples and others may be used.

The term computer readable media as used herein may also includecommunication media. Communication media may be embodied by computerreadable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other datain a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave or other transportmechanism, and includes any information delivery media. The term“modulated data signal” may describe a signal that has one or morecharacteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode informationin the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communicationmedia may include wired media such as a wired network or direct-wiredconnection, and wireless media such as acoustic, radio frequency (RF),infrared, and other wireless media.

FIGS. 13A and 13B illustrate a suitable mobile computing environment,for example, a mobile computing device 1350, a smartphone, a tabletpersonal computer, a laptop computer, and the like, with which variousembodiments may be practiced. With reference to FIG. 13A, an examplemobile computing device 1350 for implementing the embodiments isillustrated. In a basic configuration, mobile computing device 1350 is ahandheld computer having both input elements and output elements. Inputelements may include touch screen display 1325 and input buttons 1310that allow the user to enter information into mobile computing device1350. Mobile computing device 1350 may also incorporate an optional sideinput element 1320 allowing further user input. Optional side inputelement 1320 may be a rotary switch, a button, or any other type ofmanual input element. In alternative embodiments, mobile computingdevice 1350 may incorporate more or less input elements. For example,display 1325 may not be a touch screen in some embodiments. In yetanother alternative embodiment, the mobile computing device is aportable phone system, such as a cellular phone having display 1325 andinput buttons 1310. Mobile computing device 1350 may also include anoptional keypad 1305. Optional keypad 1305 may be a physical keypad or a“soft” keypad generated on the touch screen display.

Mobile computing device 1350 incorporates output elements, such asdisplay 1325, which can display a graphical user interface (GUI). Otheroutput elements include speaker 1330 and LED light 1326. Additionally,mobile computing device 1350 may incorporate a vibration module (notshown), which causes mobile computing device 1350 to vibrate to notifythe user of an event. In yet another embodiment, mobile computing device1350 may incorporate a headphone jack (not shown) for providing anothermeans of providing output signals.

Although described herein in combination with mobile computing device1350, in alternative embodiments may be used in combination with anynumber of computer systems, such as in desktop environments, laptop ornotebook computer systems, multiprocessor systems, micro-processor basedor programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, mini computers, mainframe computers and the like. Various embodiments may also be practicedin distributed computing environments where tasks are performed byremote processing devices that are linked through a communicationsnetwork in a distributed computing environment; programs may be locatedin both local and remote memory storage devices. To summarize, anycomputer system having a plurality of environment sensors, a pluralityof output elements to provide notifications to a user and a plurality ofnotification event types may incorporate the various embodimentsdescribed herein.

FIG. 13B is a block diagram illustrating components of a mobilecomputing device used in one embodiment, such as the mobile computingdevice shown in FIG. 13A. That is, mobile computing device 1350 canincorporate a system 1302 to implement some embodiments. For example,system 1302 can be used in implementing a “smart phone” that can run oneor more applications similar to those of a desktop or notebook computersuch as, for example, the productivity application discussed above withrespect to FIGS. 1-12 as well as other applications. In someembodiments, the system 1302 is integrated as a computing device, suchas an integrated personal digital assistant (PDA) and wireless phone.

A productivity application 1367 may be loaded into memory 1362 and runon or in association with an operating system 1364. The spreadsheetapplication 1367 may be perform a routine for animating the attachmentof content items to a location on a content surface in a user interfaceincluding, for example, one or more of the operations in routine 1100described above. The system 1302 also includes non-volatile storage 1368within memory the 1362. Non-volatile storage 1368 may be used to storepersistent information that should not be lost if system 1302 is powereddown. The productivity application 1367 may use and store information inthe non-volatile storage 1368. A synchronization application (not shown)also resides on system 1302 and is programmed to interact with acorresponding synchronization application resident on a host computer tokeep the information stored in the non-volatile storage 1368synchronized with corresponding information stored at the host computer.As should be appreciated, other applications may also be loaded into thememory 1362 and run on the device 1350.

The system 1302 has a power supply 1370, which may be implemented as oneor more batteries. The power supply 1370 might further include anexternal power source, such as an AC adapter or a powered docking cradlethat supplements or recharges the batteries.

The system 1302 may also include a radio 1372 that performs the functionof transmitting and receiving radio frequency communications. The radio1372 facilitates wireless connectivity between the system 1302 and the“outside world,” via a communications carrier or service provider.Transmissions to and from the radio 1372 are conducted under control ofOS 1364. In other words, communications received by the radio 1372 maybe disseminated to the productivity application 1367 via OS 1364, andvice versa.

The radio 1372 allows the system 1302 to communicate with othercomputing devices, such as over a network. The radio 1372 is one exampleof communication media. The embodiment of the system 1302 is shown withtwo types of notification output devices: an LED 1380 that can be usedto provide visual notifications and an audio interface 1374 that can beused with speaker 1330 to provide audio notifications. These devices maybe directly coupled to the power supply 1370 so that when activated,they remain on for a duration dictated by the notification mechanismeven though processor 1360 and other components might shut down forconserving battery power. The LED 1380 may be programmed to remain onindefinitely until the user takes action to indicate the powered-onstatus of the device. The audio interface 1374 is used to provideaudible signals to and receive audible signals from the user. Forexample, in addition to being coupled to speaker 1330, the audiointerface 1374 may also be coupled to a microphone (not shown) toreceive audible input, such as to facilitate a telephone conversation.In accordance with embodiments, the microphone may also serve as anaudio sensor to facilitate control of notifications. The system 1302 mayfurther include a video interface 1376 that enables an operation ofon-board camera 1330 to record still images, video stream, and the like.

A mobile computing device implementing the system 1302 may haveadditional features or functionality. For example, the device may alsoinclude additional data storage devices (removable and/or non-removable)such as, magnetic disks, optical disks, or tape. Such additional storageis illustrated in FIG. 13B by storage 1368.

Data/information generated or captured by the device 1350 and stored viathe system 1302 may be stored locally on the device 1350, as describedabove, or the data may be stored on any number of storage media that maybe accessed by the device via the radio 1372 or via a wired connectionbetween the device 1350 and a separate computing device associated withthe device 1350, for example, a server computer in a distributedcomputing network such as the Internet. As should be appreciated suchdata/information may be accessed via the device 1350 via the radio 1372or via a distributed computing network. Similarly, such data/informationmay be readily transferred between computing devices for storage and useaccording to well-known data/information transfer and storage means,including electronic mail and collaborative data/information sharingsystems.

FIG. 14 is a simplified block diagram of a distributed computing systemin which various embodiments may be practiced. The distributed computingsystem may include number of client devices such as a computing device1405, a tablet computing device 1403 and a mobile computing device 1410.The client devices 1405, 1403 and 1410 may be in communication with adistributed computing network 1415 (e.g., the Internet). A server 1420is in communication with the client devices 1405, 1403 and 1410 over thenetwork 1415. The server 1420 may store productivity application 1400which may be utilized to perform a routine for animating the attachmentof content items to a location on a content surface in a user interfaceincluding, for example, one or more of the operations in routine 1100described above. The productivity application 1400 on the server 1420may be utilized by the client devices 1405, 1403 and 1410 (over thenetwork 1415) to generate electronic documents and for storing same in astore 1416.

Various embodiments are described above with reference to block diagramsand/or operational illustrations of methods, systems, and computerprogram products. The functions/acts noted in the blocks may occur outof the order as shown in any flow diagram. For example, two blocks shownin succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or theblocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending uponthe functionality/acts involved.

While certain embodiments have been described, other embodiments mayexist. Furthermore, although various embodiments have been described asbeing associated with data stored in memory and other storage mediums,data can also be stored on or read from other types of computer-readablemedia, such as secondary storage devices (i.e., hard disks, floppydisks, or a CD-ROM), a carrier wave from the Internet, or other forms ofRAM or ROM. Further, the disclosed routines' operations may be modifiedin any manner, including by reordering operations and/or inserting oroperations, without departing from the embodiments described herein.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications or variations may be made without departing from the scopeor spirit of the embodiments described herein. Other embodiments will beapparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of thespecification and practice of the embodiments described herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method for animating theattachment of content items to a location on a content surface in a userinterface, comprising: displaying in the user interface, by a computer,a content item at an initial position above the content surface in theuser interface; receiving in the user interface, by the computer, arequest to attach the content item to a final position on the contentsurface; displaying in the user interface, by the computer, an animationof the content item moving, from the initial position, across thecontent surface until the final position has been reached; and attachingin the user interface, by the computer, the content item to the contentsurface at the final position.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereindisplaying in the user interface, by the computer, an animation of thecontent item moving, from the initial position, across the contentsurface until the final position has been reached comprises resizingcontent in the content surface to make space for the content item at thefinal position.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein resizing the contentin the content surface to make space for the content item once thecontent item arrives at the final position comprises resizing thecontent as the content item moves across the content surface towards thefinal position.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein resizing the contentin the content surface to make space for the content item once thecontent item arrives at the final position comprises resizing thecontent upon the content item reaching the final position.
 5. The methodof claim 1, wherein attaching in the user interface, by the computer,the content item to the content surface at the final position comprisesdisplaying a cross-fade animation showing a transition of the contentitem from a position above the content surface at the final position toa docked state within the content surface at the final position.
 6. Themethod of claim 5, further comprising: receiving in the user interface,a request to attach at least one new content item to the final positionon the content surface; displaying in the user interface, an animationof the at least one new content item moving across the content surfaceuntil the final position has been reached; and attaching in the userinterface, the at least one new content item to the content surface atthe final position.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein attaching in theuser interface, the at least one new content item to the content surfaceat the final position comprises resizing the docked content item to makespace for the at least one new content item at the final position. 8.The method of claim 1, wherein displaying in the user interface, by acomputer, a content item at an initial position above the contentsurface in the user interface comprises displaying a content itemselected from a group comprising at least a tasks list, a contacts listand a calendar.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying in the userinterface, by a computer, a content item at an initial position abovethe content surface in the user interface comprises displaying thecontent item as floating above the content surface at the initialposition.
 10. A computer system for animating the pinning of callouts toa location on a content surface in a user interface, comprising: amemory for storing executable program code; and a processor,functionally coupled to the memory, the processor being responsive tocomputer-executable instructions contained in the program code andoperative to: receive in the user interface, a selection of a calloutfrom the content surface; display in the user interface, the callout atan initial position above the content surface in the user interface;receive in the user interface, a request to pin the callout to a finalposition on the content surface; display in the user interface, ananimation of the callout moving, from the initial position, across thecontent surface until the final position has been reached; and pin inthe user interface, the callout to the content surface at the finalposition.
 11. The system of claim of claim 10, wherein the processor, indisplaying the animation of the callout moving, from the initialposition, across the content surface until the final position has beenreached, is operative to resize content in the content surface to makespace for the callout at the final position.
 12. The system of claim 11,wherein the processor, in resizing the content in the content surface tomake space for the callout once the callout arrives at the finalposition, is operative to resize the content as the callout item movesacross the content surface towards the final position.
 13. The system ofclaim 11, wherein the processor, in resizing the content in the contentsurface to make space for the callout once the callout arrives at thefinal position, is operative to resize the content upon the calloutreaching the final position.
 14. The system of claim 10, wherein theprocessor, in pinning the callout to the content surface at the finalposition is operative to display a cross-fade animation showing atransition of the callout from a position above the content surface atthe final position to a docked state within the content surface at thefinal position.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor isfurther to: receive in the user interface, a request to pin at least oneadditional callout to the final position on the content surface; displayin the user interface, an animation of the at least one additionalcallout moving across the content surface until the final position hasbeen reached; and pin in the user interface, the at least one additionalcallout to the content surface at the final position.
 16. The system ofclaim 15, wherein the processor, in pining in the user interface, the atleast one additional callout to the content surface at the finalposition, is operative to resize the docked callout to make space forthe at least one additional callout at the final position.
 17. Thesystem of claim 15, wherein the callout and the at least one additionalcallout comprise items of content selected from a group comprising atleast a tasks list, a contacts list and a calendar.
 18. Acomputer-readable storage medium comprising computer executableinstructions which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computerto perform a method for animating the pinning of callouts to a locationon a content surface in a user interface, comprising: receiving in theuser interface, a selection of a first callout from the content surface;displaying in the user interface, the first callout floating above aninitial position on the content surface in the user interface; receivingin the user interface, a request to pin the first callout to a finalposition on the content surface; displaying in the user interface, ananimation of the first callout, moving from the initial position acrossthe content surface until the final position has been reached, theanimation of the first callout comprising resizing the content in thecontent surface to make space for the first callout at the finalposition; pinning in the user interface, the first callout to thecontent surface at the final position by displaying a cross-fadeanimation showing a transition of the callout floating above the finalposition on the content surface to a docked state within the contentsurface at the final position; receiving in the user interface, arequest to pin another callout to the final position on the contentsurface; displaying in the user interface, an animation of the anothercallout moving across the content surface until the final position hasbeen reached; and pinning in the user interface, the another callout tothe content surface at the final position by resizing the docked calloutto make space for the another callout at the final position.
 19. Thecomputer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the first calloutand the another callout comprise task panes in the user interface afterbeing pinned to the content surface at the final position.
 20. Thecomputer-readable storage medium system of claim 18, wherein the firstcallout and the another callout comprise items of content selected froma group comprising at least a tasks list, a contacts list and acalendar.